Our thinking

Creating Leather Alternatives from Grains

3 October, 2025

Leather is often thought of as a ‘natural’ material, but its footprint tells another story. While leather is typically a by-product of cattle raised primarily for meat, its processing still carries a significant impact.  Taking into account the emissions shared with the livestock industry, a single cow-hide leather jacket is estimated to generate 176kg of CO₂-equivalent emissions, largely due to methane from cattle, on top of the pollution and water use from chemical tanning.  

Vegan alternatives exist, but many faux leathers are petroleum-based and come with their own environmental baggage. Enter Uncaged Innovations, a US startup rethinking leather altogether by using grains. 

Founded in 2020 by CEO Stephanie Downs and CTO Dr. Xiaokun Wang, Uncaged takes grain-based waste streams and transforms them into ELEVATE, a bio-based material designed to look, feel, and perform like leather. What sets it apart? Unlike most vegan leathers, ELEVATE is virtually plastic-free, relying on just 1% bio-polyurethane. 

The science is clever. In animal leather, collagen proteins bind to give the material strength and flexibility. Dr. Wang discovered how to get plant proteins from grains to behave the same way. From there, other bio-based ingredients can be added to tune colour, softness, or even fragrance. 

This isn’t just lab-scale tinkering. Uncaged is already rolling out 60-inch-wide, 200-metre sheets at facilities in the US, with four more production partners overseas. And the applications go far beyond fashion: the company is working with Jaguar Land Rover on a proof-of-concept car interior. 

It’s an exciting example of how circular thinking and innovative science can create materials that are both high-performance and planet-friendly. 

By Meg Seckel